The next level of competition includes Best of Breed (BOB), Best of Opposite Sex to Best of Breed (BOS), and Best of Winners (BOW). BOB and BOS are intersex competitions in which the Winners Dog, the Winners Bitch and Champions can compete. The BOW award, however, can only be given to the Winners Dog or Winners Bitch.

The Best of Breed winners becomes eligible to show in the Group. The seven groups include Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding, and these dogs compete for Group I, II, III, and IV. Each Group I winner for each of the 7 Groups then move on to compete for Best in Show. It’s clear to see why a Best in Show title is such an honor as the winner has virtually defeated every other dog entered throughout the whole show.

So now that you’ve got the dog shows down, do you think your own pooch might just be a contender? Well, in order for your dog to compete in an AKC show, there are several qualifications that he or she must first meet. Each dog must be (1) six months of age or older; (2) registered with the AKC; (3) of a breed recognized by the AKC; (4) intact (females cannot be spayed and males must have both testicles of normal size and fully descended into the scrotum); and (5) free of any disqualifying features as noted in the standard of its breed.

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